Shoe-buckle



(No Model.) J H SMITH 5110?; BUCKLE.

No. 462,779. p Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

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SHOE-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,779, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed June 24, 1891. Serial No. 397,298. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown' that I, JOHN H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fai1'child,in the county of Eau Claire and State of Viscousin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Buckles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1. of the drawings represents a top plan view of my improved shoe-buckle, showing the two sections thereof separated; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the two sections connected together; Fig. 3, a longitudinal cen-.

tral section of Fig. 2; Fig. 4C, a detail view in perspective of the section constituting the tongue.

The present invention has for its object to provide a shoe-buckle simple in construction, possessing the required strength and durability, capable of ready adjustment, and forming a perfect and secure fastening for the shoe, which objects I attain by the construction substantially; as shown in the drawings,

and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, A l represent the two sections of the buckle, the former constituting the tongue thereof and the latter the keeper, and are provided with loops a at their outer ends to serve as means for attaching them to the shoe by sewing or by any other preferred and well-known means.

The section of the buckle which I term the keeper, as indicated at l is formed from a blank of sheet metal stamped out in the usual manner, forming the loop a, as hereinbefore referred to, and a central line of slots 1), as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The rectangular blank from which this keeper is formed is of suflicient width to admit its edges being turned over to form guides 0 upon each side of the line of slots above described. These flanged guides, as I shall term them, are for the purpose of guiding the tongue A and retaining it against the keeper B, and also to take off anylateral pressure upon the slots, and alsonnaterially adds to the strength and rigidity of the keeper.

The tongue A is formed with an elongated opening (Z, which extends lengthwise thereof and has located over it a flat spring C, said spring being riveted or otherwise suitablyattached at one end to the tongue. The free end of the spring 0 is turned over upon itself to form a double thickness, and is curved, as shown, to present a thumb-piece e to take hold of when it is desired to raise the free end of the spring in disconnecting or adjusting the two sections of the buckle, the double thickness of metal forming a more rigid and much stronger thumb-piece than would be otherwise.

Upon the under side of the spring C near its free end is a catch f, which has a beveled heel 9, so as to admit of its freely passing over the line of slots 1) when it is desired to bring the two sections of the buckle nearer together in tightening the shoe; but the straight side of the catch, when in engagement with any one of the slots, will hold the tongue in position on the keeper. The turned over end of the spring to form the thumbpiece is riveted, as shown at h, and the catch 7" is formed with a shank t' to serve as a rivet in securing it to the spring at the end which forms the thumb-piece.

The two sections formingthe buckle, which I have designated the tongue and keeper, respectively, are curved on an arc of a circle, as shown in Fig. 3, as is common with this class of buckles, and any changes in the several details of construction that would come within ordinary mechanical skill I reserve the right to make without departing from the principle of my invention.

A shoe-buckle constructed as herein described is not only both strong and durable, but is inexpensiveand can be manufactured and placed upon the market at a comparatively small cost, and its simplicity of construction and ease of operation materially enhances the value of shoes to which such buckle is attached.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a shoe-buckle, a keeper having flanged guides upon its sides and a plurality of slots,

in combination with a slotted tongue and a hereunto subscribed my name in the presence fiat spring connected thereto andiocated over of two Witnesses.

the Slot the free end'of the sprin havin a A 1 catch t6 engage with the slots in the keeger, J01 IN SMH 5 and a thumb-piece for raising said spring, WVitnesses:

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. WM. F. HOOD,

In testimony that I claim the above I have M. I. HOOD. 

